Dispenser carton



Nov. 5, 1968 c. GISH 3,409,183

DISPENSER CARTON Original Filed Jan. l2, 1966 3 Shee'cS-Sheet l Nov` 5,1968 uL.. c. GlsH 3,409,183

DISPENSER CARTON Original Filed Jan. l2, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Il @lll'lzfrifJ im' 1 Mnl-MMU,

L, C. GISH DISPENSER CARTON Nov, 5 1968 @MW BY? @am A Original FiledJan. l2, 1966 United States Patent O ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE` yThisinventionl relates to a novel package containing dispensable items, andmore particularly pertains to a dispenser carton for paper cups, Iicecream cones, and other similar items. v

. This application is a. continuation of application Ser. No. 520,161filed Ian. 12, 1966, and now abandoned.

Paper drinking j cups, for example, are employed throughout the businessand industrial worldin enormous quantities. Ample drinking water, anobvious essential to good health and Well being, should and normally isalways accessible to workers regardless of-the specific nature of theiremployment. Since the use of individuallyowned cups -of .ceramic orother lasting material is impractical in the typical oliice or factory,disposable, inexpensive paper cups yare normally .used whichare employedonce and discarded.

Thesev disposable cups are normally conveniently lo cated adjacent asource of drinking water. Since they are employed only once, the cupsassure. excellent sanitation despite the use of the samesource of waterby large numbersof individuals, some of whom may `be diseased. The cupdispensers are normally metallic vcontainers mounted adjacent the watersource and are` permanently mounted by means of a bracket or the like on-a cooler, supporting wall or the like. When exhausted, the top of theusual cup dispenser is removed and the contents of a carton of cupsinserted thereinto and the carton discarded. If a cup dispenser is notavailable, a carton is koftentimes left adjacent the water source withone end removed, enabling individuals to remove a cup for use whendesired. Such procedure generally results in a plurality of -cups beingremoved from the carton on occasion and reinserted, because of the cupnested arrangement, when only1one cup is desired. The exposure -of cupsinthe open-carton to 'dirt and contact with the hands of personsemploying the adjacent water source reduces toV a substantial Vdegreethe hygienic benefits `possible with the proper use of paper cups. Y

It is an object of this invention to provide a carton for nested itemsin which the carton performsthe additional function of readilypermitting only a single item to be dispensed lfrom the carton at anyone time.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dispenser whichrequires little in theway of modification of a standard carton for papercups ory the like, thereby providing the additional advantages of aneffective dispenser at a -minimum of expense.

It is still another object to provide in one embodiment of thisinvention a carton dispenser for nested paper cups, cones, or the likein which the approaching exhaust-ion of the accommodated items withinthe carton may be visually determined. It is still another object ofthis invention to provide `a simple blank and liner construction whichis readily set up into a dispenser carton with a minimum of processingsteps.

The above and other objects of this invention will become more apparentupon proceeding with thefollowing 3,409,183 Patented Nov. 5, 1968 lCCdetailed description when read in the light of the accompanying drawingand appended claims.

In one embodiment of this invention a blank is provided having fourelongate, side wall panels of equal width joined by parallel fold lines;a gluel seam-is foldably attached to one distal wall panel. Closureflaps arev joined to end portions of said wall panels by fold linestransversely disposed to the wall panel fold lines. A'single-facecorrugated insert may be adhesively secured to inner surface portions ofthe side wall panels adjacent the ap connections to said panels. Thecartonl may be opened for dispensing when the blank is in thel set-upcondition and the closure aps have either been removed or have assumedan open position.

When the tubular carton is set up from the above blank, nested" products(e.g. drinking cups) are placed within the carton interior with thecorresponding one end of each of the products disposed in the directiontoward the carton dispensing end. In the case of drinking cups the largeannular lips dening the rims thereof are of such dimensions as to besnugly received in the recesses of the inl sert and are slightlydeformed when pulled over the corlowermost cup from the carton and fromengagement with the insert ridges, gravity will cause overlying nestedcups to drop into appropriate position for continued dispensing.

In alternate constructions, the insert is not adhesively secured to theside walls but is movable longitudinally with respect thereto. Toprevent the insert from dropping through the open dispensing end of thecarton, stops are formed from portions of the side walls. 'Il-1e stopsmay also be formed from corner portions of the closure rliaps which areallowed to remain in place after the remainder of the flaps have beenremoved to permit cup dispensing'. Also, plastic sheets having entrapedair bubbles may be substituted for the corrugated insert.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference will nowbe made to the drawing wherein:

FIG. l is a fragmentary plan view of one form of a blank for forming adispensing carton made in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bottom portion of a set-upcarton made from the blank of FIG. 1';

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of acarton made from the blank of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified dispensingcarton embodying a window Within a side wall and a transparent plasticretaining insert which overlies the window;

FIG. 5 is a -view similar to FIG. 1 of a blank adapted to form anothermodified carton;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bottom portion of a set-upcarton made from the blank of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a blank adapted to form stillanother modified dispensing carton;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view of the botto-rn portion of a set-up cartonmade from the blank of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a single-face corrugated insert adapted to beemployed in dispensing cartons provided by this invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the insert of FIG. 9 in theset-up condition;

FIG; 1l is a fragmentary sectional view of container.-

dispensing carton employing the corrugated insert of FIGS. 9 and 10,having paper cups contained within said carton, the carton beingillustrated in the closed condition;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the carton ofFIG. l1 with the insert-retaining tabs in place after the closure flapshave been opened; and

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 11 illustrating normal disposition ofnested paper drinking cups in the carton of FIG. 12 when said carton isarranged in thev normal vertical dispensing position with the bottomopen.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. l, a paperboard blank 10 isillustrated composed of four side wall panels 12, 14, 16 and 18, whichare of uniform width so that when folded along fold lines 20, 22 and 24they will form a uniform carton chamber of substantially square crosssection. Hingedly connected to side wall panel 18 by means of fold line26 is a glue-flap 28 adapted to adhere to a distal edge portion of wallpanely12 when the blank 10 is set up. A tape strip may be substitutedfor flap 28.

, Hingedly connected to the upper edges of side wall panels 12 and 16along fold lines 30 and 32, respectively, are closure half flaps 34 and36, respectively. Hingedly connected to the upper edge of side wallpanel 14 by means of fold line 38 is a closure flap 40 ha-ving aterminal locking tab 42 connected to closure ap 40 by means of fold line44. Each of the half closure flaps 34 and 36 is relie-ved at 46 so as toyform a continuous elongate slot to facilitate reception of locking tab42, as evident from FIG. 3 when the blank 10 of FIG. 1 is set-up into acarton 48. Flaps 34, 36 and 40 are adapted to effect closing of theupper end of the set-up carton 48 of FIG. 3.

Hingedly connected to the bottom edges of side wall panels 14 and 18 ofthe blank 10 along fold lines 50 and 52, respectively, are half-flaps 54and 56, respectively. Three-quarter aps 8 and i60 are hingedly connectedto the |bottom edges of side walls 12 and 16 by means of foldlines 62and 64, respectively. It is apparent from FIG. 2 that flaps 54, 56, S8and 60 are bottom closure flaps, inasmuch as they are adapted to coverthe bottom or dispensing end of the carton 48 Iwhen the set-upcondition. It is further apparent that the normal sequence for foldingthe bottom closure aps is to `first fold down opposed half-flaps 54 and56, after which lflaps -58 and 60 are folded in an overlappingrelationship.

It is intended that the carton 48 of FIGS. 2 and 3 constitute acombination housing or container for dispenable items such as nesteddrinking cups, ice cream cones and the like. In order that the carton 48may serve as a dispenser for items such as paper cups and the like, itis necessary that a means be present in the carton which willfrictionally retain the nested dispensable items Within the carton. Inaddition, the lowermost of such nested items must extend exteriorly ofthe carton so that only said lowermost item may be manually engaged andpulled from within the carton.

One such retention means comprises a single face corrugated insert 66,illustrated in FIGS. 9 and l0. It is seen from FIG. 9 that the insert 66contains spaced parallel fold lines 68 which enable the insert to befolded into ythe square configuration illustrated in FIG. y10. Each ofthe four wall portions 70 of insert 66 has -a width substantially equalto the common interior width of the side walls of the Iblank of FIG. 1,which is adapted to be set-up intothe carton 48.

The corrugated insert 66 in one embodiment is adhesively secured to thelower inner face portions of the side wall panels so as to be disposedadjacent the dispensing open end of the carton as illustrated in FIG. 2.When the insert 66 is adhesively secured to the side Walls, the bottomclosure flaps 54, 56, 58 and `60 may be completely removed when thecarton is to be used as a dispenser whereupon the nested items Withinthe carton 48 will move downwardly toward the open bottom end until theY lower portion of the bottom one of the nested items projectsdownwardly from the end of the carton and the remainder of the nesteditems are retained in place by engagement with the insert 66.

It will be noted from FIG. 13 that nested paper cups 72 having theconventional large annular lips or rims 74 are arranged 'in the carton48 with the cup bottoms disposed in the direction of the dispensing endof the `car ton. Inasmuch as the cup rims 74 comprise that 'portionofthe lcup having the largest diameter, the rims by appropriate sizingrelative to the corrugations of insert are snugly received within insertrecesses 76, as illustrated in FIG. 13. In order to pass the ridges 78of the insert, the large cup rims must deform slightly in the course ofmoving thereover.

FIG. 11 illustrates the nested cups 72 prior to opening of the bottomclosure flaps or portions thereof, and FIG. 13 illustrates the nestedcups in the normal accessible position after the dispensing end of thecarton 48 has been uncovered. yIt is apparent from FIG. 13 that for theinsert 66 to properly function, itmust retain the lowermost cup withinthe carton interior while allowing a predetermined portion of thelowermost cup 72 to` extend beyond the end of the carton. This cupextension enables the lowermost one of the nested cups to be readilymanually engaged or grasped by an individual desiring a cup andwithdrawn from the carton without causing the remainder of the nestedcups being simultaneously removed from the carton.

If it is not desired to glue the insert 66 in place within the cartoninterior, it may be loosely disposed within the interior of the cartonat the time it is set-up. With such a construction the insert may bemoved longitudinally of the carton and therefore, it is necessary toprovide stops adjacent the dispensing end of the carton which willprevent the insert of FIG. l0 from accidentally emerging from the openend of the carton 48.

Such stops may comprise corners or tabs 80, more clearly seen in FIG.12, formed from overlying portions of the bottom closure aps 56, 58, `54and 60. One manner of for-ming the corner stops 80, illustrated in FIG.12, is by perforating or scoring arcuate lines of separation 82 in eachof the bottom closure flaps, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2. Inaddition, a Alinger-engageable tab 84 formed integrally with bottomclosure ap 56 may be employed to facilitate uncovering of the cartonbottom opening.

When it is desired to employ the carton 48 of FIGS. 2, 3,12 and 13 as adispensing device, the tab 84 of the carton is pulled free and theoverlapping bottom closure portions, with the exception of the cornerstops 80, defined by the arcuate lines 82, are pulled free from the sidewall panels with which they are initially hingedly connected. Tofacilitate the removal of the bottom closure portions as a unit, in themanner illustrated in FIG. 12, the fold line portions of each of thebottom closure flaps disposed between the terminal ends of theperforation arcs 82 are also perforated to facilitate detachment of eachbottom closure flap from the side wall with which they are originallyhingedly connected.

When the single-face corrugated insert is loosely disposed within thecarton 48, it is preferably folded into the desired-shape in the courseof setting up the blank 10, at which time the nested items 72 are alsopreferably positioned in'place within the carton. When it is desired toemploy carton 48 as a dispenser, all that need be done is to engage thetab 84 and pull the adhered layers of the bottom closure aps as a unitaway from the bottom or dispensing end of the carton in the mannerillustrated in FIG. l2. Upon hanging such carton in a vertical position,see FIG. 13, by means of a 'supportengaging aperture `in a wall panel,the lowermost cup 72 is readily accessible for dispensing from thecarton.

Other equivalent stop means for retaining the nonsecured insert withinthe carton 48 may comprise tri- Inasmuch as blank 10a possesses sidewall panels, a glue seam and closure aps substantially the same as thoseof the blank of FIG. 1, comparable component in the lblank 10a bear thesame identifyingnumeral as' thecorresponding component of blank 10 plusthe adscript a.

The triangular stops are-denedby slits 88 and converging iold lines 90,which are formed in the lower side wall portions adjacent the bottomopening of the carton to be rformed vfrom the blank 10a in the set-upcondition. The strikeouts 86 are formed in diametrically-opposedportions of the carton 48a, -as illustrated in FIG. 6. When intended toserve as stops for insert 66, the stops are pushed inwardly along thefold lines 90. The upper edges of each strike-out thus function as stopedges supporting the lower terminal edge of the insert in the manner asshown in FIG. 6.

Since blank 10a relies upon the presence olf the strikeouts v86 tosupport and retain the insert 66 within the carton 48a, the arcuateperforations 82 present in the blank 10 are, of course, not needed inthe bottom closure flaps of the -blank 10a inasmuch as it is desiredthat each of the bottom closure aps be entirely removed. Therefore, thefold lines 62a, 53a, 64a and 52a of the blank 10a, by means off whichthe side wall panels are connected to the bottom closure flaps, areperforated or otherwise reduced in strength. The overlying aps may thenbe removed -as a unit so as to leave the bottom opening of the carton48a completely unobstructed in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6.

The blank 10b of FIG. 7 employs hinged tabs 92 as stops preventingpassage of the insert through the bottom opening of carton 48b in themanner illustrated in FIG. 8. The stop tabs 92 are cut from side wallpanel end portions 14b and 18b in the manner illustrated in FIG. 7, andremain connected to the blank side walls by means of the .'fold lines20b and 24b, respectively. Each of the tabs 92 is preferably coated witha pressure-'sensitive adhesive on its inner face. When the blank 10b isset-up into the carton 48b, the inner faces of the tabs 92 formed fromthe side wall panels 14b and 18b are readily adhesively secured toopposed, inner lface portions of side Wall panels 12b and 16b,respectively.

The double-wall thickness provided by the tabs 92 serves to preventemergence of the insert 66 through the bottom opening of the carton 48b.The bottom closure panels 58b, 54h, 60b and 56b of the blank 10b,similarly to the bottom closure panels of blank 10a, are hingedlyconnected to contiguous side wall panels along fold lines 62h, 50h, 64b,and 52h, respectively, which are of -reduced strength so that theoverlapping bottom closure panels which are adhered together may bereadily removed as a unit after tab 84b has been engaged and pulledrelative to the side wall panels orf the carton.

It is believed apparent from the foregoing description of the variousembodiments of the provided carton blank and package that variousmodifications may be made which remain within the spirit of the basicinvention disclosed.

It should -be appreciated, for instance, that the corrugated insert 66merely comprises one form of retention means which may be utilized withthe carton. In addition to a corrugated surface having alternate ridgesand depressions, it is possible to use to advantage other means whichassure a frictional supporting engagement with the rims of dispensableitems to be housed within the various cartons illustrated.

In FIG. 4 the lower bottom portion of a carton 100 is illustrated.Secured to the bottom portions of the inner faces of the side wallpanels of such carton may be a material sold under the trade name CapSeal which is composed of a double-thickness plastic material having aplurality of spaced, resilient bubbles of air entrapped therein. Ininstances where the plastic containing such bubbles 102 is transparent,a cut-out or window 104 may be formed in the lower portion of at leastone side wall of the carton, which will visually indicate when thesupply of the dispensable items 106, `such as ice cream cones or "otherfragile items,'is approaching exhaustion.

"The retentionmeansfshould support the weight offthe nested items to bedispensed which are contained within the carton and in addition, shouldpermit a portion of such items to extend exteriorly of the carton asuflicient amount whereby the lower portion of the lowermost nested itemmay be readily manually engaged without disturbing the item nestedimmediately thereabove. Although the retention means as above describedhave been placed on all rfour inner wall portions of thecontainerdispensing carton, it is conceivable that the friction meansneed only be present on two opposed walls for affording adequateretention or support to the nested items disposed within the carton.

Also, this invention is not to be limited to use 'with drinking cups orwaffle cones, but is applicable to any dispensable fragile items of asimilar nature which may be supported in the manner above described. Inorder to remove a dispensable item, it i-s apparent that it mightslightly deform or -flex relative to the retention means, as in theexample of the paper cups slight deformation relative to the corrugationinsert. If the item to be dispensed is an ice cream cone, for example,exing thereof to any appreciable extent is not desirable, and theretention means or insert disposed within the carton should besutiiciently deformable or yieldable so as to permit the nested item tobe dispensed without causing damage thereto. A suitable insert for thispurpose is one made from the Cap Seal material aforementioned.Furthermore, the number and size of side wall panelsV comprising thecarton may vary from that shown whereupon the cross-sectional shape ofthe carton will also vary and will depend in large measure on theconfiguration of the dispensable items.

While several embodiments of this invention have been described above,further modications may be made thereto and it is contemplated,therefore, by the appended claims, to cover any such modifications asfall lwithin the true spint and scope of this inveniton.

I claim:

1. A paperboard carton for packaging a plurality of nested receptacles,each of said receptacles having an enlarged open end and a smallerclosed end; said carton comprising foldably-connected, elongated sidepanels folded to form ya multi-sided, upright, tubular member of uniformcross section throughout its length for slidably accommodating aplurality of nested receptacles with the closed ends thereof'facingtoward the lower end of said tubular member; closure flaps foldablyconnected to the tubular member lower end for closing of said lower endto retain and enclose such receptacles in said tubular member and foropening to permit dispensing of such receptacles through said lower end,and a separate liner insert disposed |within said tubular memberadjacent said lower end, said liner insert including at least twodiametrically opposed wall portions laterally supported by said sidepanels .against outward movement, each of said 'wall portions `includinga plurality of yieldable protuberances, said protuberances comprisingair bubbles entrapped between plastic sheets; the interval betweendirectly opposed protuberances on opposed wall portions being slightlyless than the largest diameter of such receptacles whereby saidprotuberances may resiliently retain the enlarged ends of suchreceptacles therebetween and permit yieldable passage of such enlargedends over said protuberances; said liner being positioned below theposition assumed by the open end of the lowermost of such receptacles:resting upon said closure flaps when said closure -aps are in a closedposition and permitting said closed end of such receptacles to projectthrough said lower end before the open end of such receptacle engagessaid protuberances when said closure flaps are open.

. 2. The carton of claim 1 in which said plastic sheets References Citedof said liner insert are transparent and in which a lower 'UNITED STATESPTENIS'. l l portion of at least one panel underlylng sa1d hner msert -vv is cutout so that it may be visually noted when the num- 2,614,687 10/1952 ROY -..L 221-'308 ber of receptacles within such carton isapproaching 5 v 7 exhaustion. SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary'Examnr.

